Airship



. Jan'. 12 1926.

1,569,161 l E. H. VAN VALKENBERG AIRSHIP Filed April 27, 1925 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Lfrll s LT @E D @QWD @IES F mw Wink# @i alfine? thePatented Jan. 123, 1926.

Unirse stares PATENT OFFlQE.

EBEE H. VAN VALKENBERG, F MONROE, XKTASHNGTON, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TOOSCAR SILVERSTEN, GF POKANLE, WASHINGTON.

AIRSHIP.

Application tiled April 27, 1925. Serial No. 26,082.

7'0 (all @cto/ni 'it may concern.'

lie it known that I, Enna H. VAN VALKEN- nnne, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Monroe, in Snohomish County and State of.Vashington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAirships, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in airships of thedirigible or navigable balloon type, and particularly to the structureof the gondola or car suspended below the body of the airship. l

rl"he primary object of my invention is the provision of means wherebythe ship may be ballasted to insure a horizontal position for cruising',as well as to bring` the ship to an inclined position with its forwardor bow end up or down desired when coming to an anchorage or rising` inthe air. Such ballasting may be necessary to compensate for changes inthe posit-ion of the crew, and displacements or redistribution of otherloads or weights carried by the air ship.

For this purpose the car is suspended below the body of the ship forlongitudinal niovement relative to the body of the ship, and pneumaticor other motive fluid means are provided for controlling the shifting ofthe car with relation to the ship.

The invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements ofparts as will hereinafter be more fully pointed out and claimed.

ln the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment' of my invention wherein the parts are combinedand arranged in' accordance with the best model have thus far devisedfor the practical'application of the principles of my invention.

Figure l is a view in side elevation showing a portion of an aircraft orairship with the car suspended therefrom and illustrating the generalarrangement of parts of my invention. l

`Figure i?. is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of part ofthe carshowing the pneumatic control mechanism for the car.

Figure 3 is a cross section through the car and a fragment of theaircraft showing the attachment means and pneumatic control mechanism.

he buoyant body of an airship or air craft is designated by the numeral1, of the `keel of the ship are carried longitudinally extendingparallel spaced flanged rails 2 forming tracks of suitable length andattached in suitable manner to the body of the ship.

The gondola or car 3 which is of suitable type is located beneath thebody of the ship and provided' with an upper longitudinally extendingframe l fixed along its upper side edges and forming part of the framestruc'- ture of the car.

Rollers 5 journaled in supporting brackets 6. ou the frame 4 are spacedat suitable intervals and carried by the frame of the car to suspend thelatter on the parallel tracks 2 of the body of the ship, in order thatthe car may be moved fore and aft with relation to the ship for thepurpose of stabilizing the ship. By thus moving or adjusting the carwith relation to the ship the weight of the car is imposed at selectedpoints on the ship to hold it in horizontal position or for the purposeof changing its position with relation to the horizontal plane.

Fore and aft propellers 7 and 7 are carried by the car, and power isapplied thereto in approved manner for the propulsion of the ship inusual way.

The car is adjusted longitudinally of the ship by `pneumaticallyoperated, duplex mechanism carried by the car and controlled from withinthe car for co-action with the ship. For this purpose an air plant orcompresser is indicated at 9 having a pair of motive iuid pressure pipes10 and 11 eX- tending therfrom for supplying compressed air to the aircylinders 12 and 13 respectively. Control valves 14 and 15 of thethree-way type are provided in these supply pipes to control admissionof compressed air to one side of the operating mechanism and at the sametime permit withdrawal ot air from the other side of the mechanism, aswill be described.

The cylinders are arranged in alinement extending longitudinally of theship and car, and they are suppo-rted in the frame t of the car at thetop thereof, which frame is fashioned with a depression 16, andtransversely arranged straps 17 to hold the cylin* ders 12 and 13against longitudinal or lateral displacement.

Each cylinder is provided with a piston, as 18 and 19 having rods 20 and21 extending through suitable hazes in the outer .ends

of the -alined cylinders, 1 and the lends ot the rods are pivotallyconnected at 22 and 23 to hangers 24 and 25. rlihese hangers are boltedor otherwiserigidly secured along the keel line of the ship and tor-mfulcrums vor abutments against Which pressuie is selectively applied formoving or adjusting the car.

The outer heads ofthe cylinders are provided with outwardly openingspringpressed-vent valves 26 to permit. egress of air'from lthe outervendsl of che cylinders when motive fluid pressure is applied, as at the.Working side ofthe piston 18 from pipe 1 0. .The cylinders are alsoprovided With v,small inwardly opening spring pressed CIIequalizingyalves .27, one in each of the outer ends of the cylinders,

rIt will be apparent that `the piston 18 vforms a staiionaryabutment tormotive liuid pressure admitted to the cylinder against .the Working sideo't'the piston, and the pressure is exerted against the ivorling side oithe piston and the adjacent head ot the cylinder to move theV car to theright or toward the stern of the ship in Figures 1 and Y 2. By thismovement air is forced out of the to Athe le'l't. 'tor the motive fluidare preferably three-Way .valves .and these tivo valves are properlymanipulated When shifting the carin either direction to supply motivefluid to the. Working side of one` l'iiston-abutment, and relievepressure at the vf'orking side oi. the yother piston-abutment.

rlilhus the two control valves are simultaneously lmanipulated in suchmanner that the motiveiuid pressure may beapplied in. .one cylindertopositively shiftv the car longijtudindally of the ship and theWithdrawalot air from the other'cylinderis controlled in relation .tothe .operation ot the Working .cylinder toiwaselected quick shitting of.the

load, or ,for a slower shitting ot the load or car and with minuteaccuracy of adjustment in equilibrating the ship.

F rom the above desoriptionit will be apparent from an inspection of mydrawings that I have provided the -sliipwith means whereby the objectsof my invention may be carried out With facility, reliability andaccuracy for proper control of the ship.

Having thus ullydescribed my invention, what l claim as new and desireto secure ...by Letters Patent is- 1. The combination With an airshipand a loi'igitudinally movable car suspended thereon, of a stationaryabutment carried by one of said members, and motive fluid `actuatedmeans carried bythe other member for coactioirtherewith lfor relativelyadjusting sai d members.

2. :The .combination with an airship and :t longitudinally movable cai'suspended thereon, ofa motive fluid cylinder carried by the car and astationary piston head forming .an labutment carried by the airship, and

means Jfor controlling the. admission and lexhaust ont motive Huid to,and from said cylinder tor relatively adjusting the airship and car.

The combination xvithanairship havting spaced longitudinally extendingtrack rails and' a car having .supporting` rollers on said track rails,.of a motive fluid cylindei carried by .the car and means forcontrolling the admission and exhaust of motive fluid. to said cylinder,anda stationary piston head forming an. abutment in the. cylindercarried by the airship.

.LThe combination with an airship having' vrspaced longitudinallyextending track rails and a. car having supporting rollers on saidrails, of'a motive `fluid cylinder carried by the. ear `and means torcontrolling the admission and exhaust ot' motive liuid to said`cylinder, a piston head forming an abutment in the cylinder, a rodConnected to the head, and an anchoring device on the airship coniiectedto one end oil: said rod.

5` The combination with an airship having spaced .longitudinaliyextending track rails and a car having supporting` rollers on saidrails, of a pair ol aimed cylinders carriedby said car and an aircompressor connected to, said cylinders, valves for controllingadmission and exhaust ot' air to and from said cylinders, a pair otpiston heads A.iiorn'iingabutmentsin said cylinders, and

means toi' anchoring the respective piston heads to said airship.

ln testimony whereoit l allix my signature.

EBER H. VAN VLITENBERG.

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